Wakeup Breathing

President Bush vetoed a bill that would outlaw waterboarding and other methods of what some consider torture. I happen to disagree and believe that it is one technique that should be used to get information. And if the information you are trying to get will save the lives of not only our military men and women but of innocents also, then I believe it is justified.

Now I know lots of liberals are going to scream bloody murder that Bush vetoed the bill. I’m sure they will use the “it makes the US” look bad to the world. I don’t think we look bad to the world.

If we looked so bad why do so many want to come here. Do you think people are saying “I won’t go there they use waterboarding” That is bull….I’m not saying the U.S. is perfect, we screw things up just like everyone else. But the fact is we are still the shining light to the world no matter how hard the liberals try to destroy that.

So let’s say “Mr Iamagainsttorture” your daughter has been kidnapped by Islamic terrorists. And let’s assume they are going to do some really bad things to her. And lets say we have captured one of the kidnappers and have them in custody.

What would be willing to do to get your daughter back in one piece and not harmed? Would you say no to waterboarding because it might be cruel to the kidnapper?

I’ll tell you that I would do anything to get my son back. I would even do the waterboarding if I knew it would get the information to save my son. I believe it is all so easy to sit in our living rooms and say we think something is torture. Yet we turn a blind eye to terrorists that kill innocent children. Terroists that blow themselves up just to kill and maim in the name of their radical beliefs.

Sure you say, but we are suppose to be above all that and not use these methods. It makes us just like them. I say in no way are we like them. And using methods like waterboarding to gain information to save lives doesn’t either.

The presidential candidates talk about change….the change we need as a country is to change our thinking about which life is more important. The one of the innocent man, woman or child or the terrorist that has the information to we need to save those lives….

I just needed to write something a little different.

I am a big sci-fi fan. I love old black and white movies because movies then had a plot and didn’t rely on special effects. So I recently watched one of my favorites, it was The Day the Earth Stood Still. In the movie, Klatu the man from outer space caused the whole planet to shut down electrically for 30 minutes. This caused everything that had any reliance on electricity to stop and thus disrupting all societies worldwide.

After the movie I saw a news report that oil had gone to 102 dollars a barrel. With that we could soon expect 4 dollars a gallon for gas. I thought we are rapidly approaching a time when this country could stand still because of high gas prices. Now for you liberals and environmentalists I want to say prices are not high because of Bush. They are not high because we are in Iraq or Afghanistan or any other region. They are high because OPEC can charge whatever they want and we will pay it. They won’t increase production because they make billions on us. Why increase production and give up the golden goose..us!. The high gas prices take huge amounts of money out of our economy, money that could be spent on products and services that keep other Americans working. But the high prices take a toll in other ways also. They drive up the cost of shipping products, which forces the manufacturers to raise prices to offset shipping costs. Products we manufacture cost more like plastics, rubber and anything that has or uses oil in its production. So your tires will cost more. Those toys for you kids also.

Oil prices are also high because we will not develop our own sources. They are high because we have gutless politicians that will not tell the radical environmentalists to go take a flying leap. We have activist judges that go along with the environmentalist in blocking anything that even resembles drilling, mining or anything that resembles oil or resource development. We won’t build a single new refinery, to refine that 102 dollar oil.
They are high because we have an electorate that is more interested in what Britney did than what our legislators are doing or not doing. Developing fuel efficient cars is great, but we are not going to replace 300 million cars overnight. And this doesn’t even account for the many thousands of large transport trucks.

So when we are paying 5, 6, 7 dollars a gallon, don’t blame it on Bush. By then we will have another president anyway. Don’t blame it on Clinton, Obama or McCain either, although they are part of the problem and will be no part of the solution. No the blame goes right where it belongs. Who is that you say….just look in the mirror. We are the problem, we let it happen.

We have all heard the current buzz word of the presidential primaries..”change”. All the candidates talk about it but none really describe exactly what they plan to change. So we all get the big surprise when one of them is elected.

But we can know what kind of change we want in our personal life. We can decide and then implement that change.
For the most part any significant change requires some mental toughness to accomplish. You can be a physical weakling
and turn yourself into a superior specimen but not by having poor mental toughness. Without mental toughness the average person gives up when the road get bumpy.

Sure you can ignore the importance of mentally being tough and you can make some progress. Although it will be about as slow as grass growing. And when your progress is that slow you will slowly revert back to your old habits of “whatever” and become the old you.

We have all seen the obvious habits that people cannot change because they suffer from mental weakness. Trying to quit smoking, over eating, no exercise, learning new skills and any number of others. All of these require a specific and tough mental outlook. You need to get your head straight about what you want and that you are going to do it.

One way to look at change is….there is no such thing as trying to change, you either change or you don’t.

Those that change got tough mentally and affected their change, those that didn’t…didn’t. It is that simple.

So recognize the need for mental toughness, examine yours and decide to be tough. Your changes will flow easily and your progress will be swift.